Bar's Oil Stop Leak works by conditioning engine oil seals, which tend to dry out and shrink over time. It revitalizes these seals and makes them soft and pliable again.
Over time, engine oil seals made of rubber or similar materials can lose their flexibility due to heat and age. This drying and shrinking can create small gaps between the seal and the metal surface it's supposed to seal against, leading to oil leaks.
The Core Mechanism
The primary function of Bar's Oil Stop Leak is to target these aged, hardened seals.
- Seal Revitalization: The formula contains special agents, often called seal conditioners or plasticizers. These agents are designed to penetrate the seal material.
- Restoring Flexibility: Once absorbed, these conditioners help to replenish the lost plasticizers within the seal's composition. This process softens the seal material and restores its original flexibility and size.
- Stopping Leaks: By making the dried-out seals soft and pliable again, the seal can properly expand and conform to the surfaces it contacts. This eliminates the gaps that were causing the oil leak.
Think of it like moisturizing dry skin – restoring moisture makes the skin more flexible and resilient. Similarly, Bar's Leaks moisturizes engine seals from the inside, helping them regain their sealing ability.
Seals That Can Benefit
Bar's Oil Stop Leak is typically designed to work on various engine seals and gaskets that use elastomeric (rubber or synthetic rubber) materials, such as:
- Valve cover gaskets
- Oil pan gaskets
- Rear main seals
- Front main seals
- Timing cover seals
- Other rubber-based seals
It does not fix leaks from cracks in metal components or damage to rigid gaskets. Its action is focused solely on conditioning and restoring the properties of flexible seals.
By restoring the softness and flexibility of dried-out and shrunken seals, Bar's Oil Stop Leak provides a solution for many common engine oil leaks without requiring extensive mechanical repairs.
